Out in Irish cinemas is Dear You, a poignant film about love, distance and heartbreak in 20th-century Asia. Directed by Lang Hongchun and with a largely unknown cast, Dear You is an unusual film to describe. The film opens with Hiau-ui, a young man in modern-day China looking to leech some money off his grandmother Ye Shurou. When he discovers that his grandfather, who fled from China in 1945 to avoid conscription, might still be alive in Thailand with a wife and children and is a billionaire, he rushes off hoping to save himself from debt. What Hiau-ui finds in Thailand is so much more profound and tragic than he could ever have expected.
Dear You is a beautiful film; with this relatively unknown cast, I found myself completely enamoured by the plight of Musheng, Hiau-ui’s grandfather. After falling madly in love with Ye Shurou, having three children with her, and beginning to make a life for themselves, he has to leave. While gone, he sends money periodically to the family so that they can survive without him there. He finds refuge, along with many other people, in Bangkok’s Chinatown in 1955. There he befriends the daughter of a hostel owner, Xie Nanzhi, and they strike up a friendship.
Bless us to share one heart
Dear You is one of the most surprising experiences watching a film this year I’ve had, and I loved every moment of it. From the set design of early 20th-century China and Thailand to the charmingly offbeat score that was peppered throughout, Dear You has an eccentric personality to it. There is a resilience to the people of this era that sucked me in. I wanted them to survive, to thrive and be reunited with their loved ones. It’s a testament to the talent of the whole cast and crew how impressive the story was.
There is a periodic event throughout the film, where people go and send letters to their families, known as qiaopi. This is to assure them that they are okay. It is also used to send them presents and money. I didn’t realise how invested I was in these characters’ plights until I saw a man put money into a qiaopi to ensure that his wife could buy back his daughter. It was truly moving and brought me to tears.
That’s life. Our fate is not up to us
Along with these everyday tragedies is the emotional story at the centre of Dear You. Musheng desperately wishes to return home to Ye Shurou. You can see it in his eyes as he is read her letters. As a constant companion is Xie Nanzhi, who, as the story unfolds, seems to not only fall in love with Musheng but also his family back in China. Actor Li Sitong gives a measured but emotionally potent performance. She is a particular highlight of the film, having an excellent back and forth with Wang Yantong’s Musheng.
The film also knows how to balance an excellent level of humour. After all, this is life, and it is not always raining; some days you are smiling. It can be for the simplest of things: seeing a friend achieve a goal, being able to relax after a long day, reminiscing about the good times. All these elements give Dear You a naturalistic and human ambience that will move you, I promise.
Dear You is a fictional tale, but it is one drenched in the real tears of a people. Head to your local cinema to experience it for yourself.
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